by Deb Alter
The solar farm on the Bugbee property on Route 22 in North Hoosick was a big part of the conversation at the Town of Hoosick Public Workshop on solar farms held on January 27. The meeting room was crowded, with strong feelings on both sides of the issue.
[private] With the example of the project on the Bugbee property before them, many North Hoosick residents have become uneasy about the negative impacts of large-scale commercial solar installations and were among those crammed into the Town meeting room at the HAYC3 Armory. They were specifically concerned about the 10-acre North Hoosick installation across from the True Value hardware store, in an area zoned for light commercial use, that was approved by the Zoning Board at its November 2 meeting. Many worried that it will be an eyesore and will “change the character” of rural North Hoosick, and possibly lower the value of neighboring properties. Some were also concerned about safety or environmental issues. Larry and Kathy Bugbee were there to explain and defend their project, and also present were proponents of solar energy in general. There were strong feelings on both sides of the issue.
The people opposing the solar farm expressed their frustration about not having had ample opportunity to give input before the Zoning Board approved it. At an August public hearing, there was a discussion about putting a moratorium on solar farms in Hoosick until more information could be learned about the different impacts they would have on the town; the people who attended that meeting were overwhelmingly against a moratorium, so the Board decided not to impose one at that time.
Many of those present at Wednesday’s Workshop had missed the earlier meeting, but were adamant that, though they were “late to the party,” they should still have a voice. At that point, the only thing left for the Zoning Board to approve on the North Hoosick site were the landscaping plans.
Plans for the landscaping of the NextEra Energy’s solar farm on the Bugbee property were presented by a representative from Bohler Engineering at the regular Zoning Board meeting on Monday, February 1. Again, the room was crowded.
Bohler Engineering had been hired by NextEra Energy, Inc., the developer of the solar farm. The representative showed an aerial view of the property and explained about the different types of trees and shrubs that would be planted to screen the area. He said that the plants that the landscape architect had chosen were of different heights and textures that would look natural on the site.
A heated debate ensued after the presentation, with people from the audience disagreeing with the viability of the proposed landscaping plan. Jim Sutton insisted that the plants would never grow in the type of soil that was there and that those plants wouldn’t provide screening in any case. Nick Halford, a representative from the Rensselear County Soil Service disagreed, saying that things would grow there, including evergreens that Sutton had insisted could not. Bohler had not taken any soil samples and had used a soil survey from the 1970’s (the most recent one available) as a guide. Some said that actual samples were definitely necessary, others said that soil doesn’t change.
The issue of guarantees, bonding, and whose stamp (a landscape architect’s or a civil engineer’s) was needed was also hotly debated. The Bohler engineer’s proposal had an official stamp from a landscape architect, the plantings were guaranteed for two years, and there was a bond from the nursery for 10% of the value. Sutton and others insisted that that wasn’t enough, that there should be a longer guarantee and a cash bond for three times the value of the landscaping project.
The Zoning Board members listened to comments from the audience and asked a number of questions of both the Bohler and NextEra reps. They voted to approve the proposed landscaping plan with three contingencies: that NextEra parent company guarantees the entire value of the landscaping project and agrees to maintain the landscaping for the life of the project, and that the plans will be resubmitted to the Zoning Board with both a landscape architect’s stamp and a civil engineer’s stamp.
The meeting ended with disagreement still hanging in the air. Some people were disappointed with the approval, others were relieved that the project could now move forward.[/private]